POLITICS

“Euroactiv” news portal has published an article prepared by Texas-based global intelligence company Stratfor titled “Talking around the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh”.

The article says: “Diplomatic talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute are proceeding apace. These unusually positive accounts could bode well for talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which have been at a stalemate for more than two decades. In April, dozens of soldiers on both sides of the dispute were killed and hundreds more injured when fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia briefly escalated to levels not seen since a cease-fire was reached there in 1994. The flare-up sparked fears that another large-scale military conflict between the two countries could erupt.

That said, continuing to hold talks that produce no significant change to the status quo may not be tenable in the long term. After all, a lack of progress in negotiations precipitated the April skirmish in the first place, and Azerbaijan is unlikely to stand by indefinitely for the current round of talks. If diplomacy does not produce tangible results, a similar or more serious military escalation by Azerbaijan cannot be ruled out. But, ultimately, resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will require actions more than words.”